How Music Helps You Learn A Language

When you learn a language by ear, you go through three different stages:

Stage 1: Capacity (Hearing & Pronunciation)

Stage 2: Conversation (Speaking & Understanding)

Stage 3: Command (Reading and Writing)

Listening to music in your target language means not only are you practicing your capacity for hearing and pronunciation, but you’re also (when you sing it back) practicing your spoken command as well.

The first time you listen to a song, don’t worry so much about the lyrics. The second or third time you listen, start to try and sing along.

The best thing you can do with songs is trying to ‘flowverlap’ – which is where you record yourself singing alongside them and try and match the syllables exactly. Don’t worry if you’re not a great singer – that’s not important!